Every property owner must maintain their property safely to avoid causing harm to visitors and guests. Unfortunately, many fall short of these obligations. This has serious consequences. In fact, there were 970 fatal falls in 2020 in Tennessee, according to the state’s Department of Health, and fall injuries are just one of many things that can go wrong in unsafe spaces.
After an injury due to problems at a property, Tennessee has a special body of laws that determine whether the victim has a right to pursue a legal claim and recover compensation. An Oak Ridge premises liability attorney can help you understand these laws and navigate the legal system to get the justice you deserve.
The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto have had great success in premises liability claims, including in recent cases where we helped a client recover $900,000 after a serious injury resulting from negligent property maintenance. Our firm will fight for you to maximize the recovery in your own case, so give us a call today at (865) 691-2777 to schedule a consultation and learn more about the legal services we can offer.
What Happens if You Get Hurt on Someone’s Property in Oak Ridge?
If you are hurt while on someone else’s property, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim to get compensation from the property owner or occupier who was responsible for maintaining the space.
However, you’ll need to prove the owner or occupier was negligent, which means showing they breached a duty or legal obligation to you. The duty that a property owner owes depends on why you’re on the property.
Under Tennessee Code Section 29-34-208, “a possessor of real property owes no duty of care to a trespasser except to refrain from willfully, with negligence so gross as to amount to willfully, intentionally, or wantonly causing injury.” This means trespassers usually are limited in their ability to recover for losses.
Others are afforded more protection, including invitees who come to a property for the benefit of the owner and licensees who come from their mutual benefit. As Rice v. Sabir states, “a premises owner’s duty is to exercise “reasonable care with regard to social guests or business invitees in the premises. The duty includes the responsibility to remove or warn against latent or hidden dangerous conditions on the premises of which one was aware or should have been aware through the exercise of reasonable diligence.”
Why You Need A Premises Liability Attorney
Premises liability laws are complicated as it can be difficult to prove your status on the property and to show that a property owner’s failure was the direct cause of your harm.
An experienced Oak ridge personal injury lawyer understands the law, can argue on your behalf to show the property owner was to blame, and can help you gather evidence such as witness statements and security camera footage.
Let Our Oak Ridge Premises Liability Attorney Help You
The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto have been representing accident victims for more than 20 years and we know the laws inside and out. Give us a call today at (865) 691-2777 to speak with an Oak Ridge premises liability lawyer to learn what we can do for you.